Importance Of Words
I warmed to this refrain of a song many years ago. The whole line is, “It’s only words, and words are all I have, to take your heart away.” I sympathized with the writer but now recognize and value the importance of words. Our vocabulary consists of everything we have ever heard and seen during our life. Some people have multiple vocabularies across different languages and academic disciplines, and even non-academic occupations have distinct terminology that their people must learn. Developing vocabulary is one part of tutoring in English.
Words are generative, which is what makes them potent. In our choice of words, we hold power to build, encourage, strengthen and challenge, as well as to injure, demolish, frustrate, and demotivate one another. Nowhere is the power of words shown more powerfully than in the home. “What a child lives with is what they learn” is a saying I learned later in life. At first, it intimidated me, as I struggled with the effect of words that injured me. Now I see the value of them as a guide. The poem compares the consequences of what a child learns from the spoken words relating to them. Value, appreciation, strength, and love will guide a child toward excellence. How we handle the messes, the mistakes, the misunderstandings creates the atmosphere of our home. A child who is belittled, criticized, and devalued does not learn as well as one who is encouraged, held to account, and appropriately challenged to succeed. We are the best tutors in Vermont Centres who speak positively to children, enabling them to view mistakes as learning opportunities.
Appropriate challenges are necessary but do not tie your child’s worth to them. Challenging a child to do better or reach beyond their capacity consistently does not help; it harms. Allow young children (>8) to play. Watch and listen to the dialogue, problem-solving, and negotiation skills that emerge. You may be surprised. Playing is learning; it is never a waste of time. Unstructured play requires people to access their imagination, values, and communication centers. Infants learn consequences while playing; when they hit a colored object, it moves or makes a sound. When they like the sound, they repeat the action. When they don’t like the sound and stop the action, they realise they have some power over what they hear. However, the words they hear remain out of their control. When adults and children play together, the conversation is as significant as the activity itself. Our local, affordable tuition centers use to play and discussion to boost language skills.
While academic excellence and high scores are valuable and admirable, they are not the total of a person’s worth or potential. There is a myth that people with a university education earn more than those who don’t. I label it a myth because it has some truth but not all, and certainly not the only. Not everyone can earn high salaries. People do better when they can follow their interests and capabilities. Many tradespeople who also develop business skills earn considerable incomes. Whichever path you follow, an effort is required. It is the energy and commitment toward their chosen task that produces results. Allow your student to develop interests other than academia and watch their grades improve as a result. Speak value to your students, encourage them to set realistic goals, develop relationships based on respect, equality, and mutuality and work hard toward their chosen vision. Always reassure them that you are willing to help them achieve. My favorite saying is, “tuition center inspires successful learners and supports families.” Every student receives individual attention to become successful in learning.
